Thomas Jefferson school offers online degree

By DOUG SHERWIN
Tuesday, July 17, 2007

For the first time in its 38-year history, Thomas Jefferson School of Law is offering an online Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree through the Walter H. and Dorothy B. Diamond International Tax and Financial Services Program.

Established in 1998, the Diamond Program remains the only program to offer graduate law degrees and certifications through an entirely online course of study at an ABA accredited law school. A prime distinction of the program is that the courses are taught by distinguished professionals in the international financial services arena.

"This is the first LL.M. program the school has developed," said Thomas Jefferson School of Law Dean Rudy Hasl. "It foreshadows the development of much more sophisticated programming to meet the needs of the legal profession."

Since its inception, the program has been under the direction of Professor William H. Byrnes, a former associate director of international tax at the global tax and accounting firm now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers.
A pioneer of the online format, he has assembled an international faculty of individuals whose scholarly publications and years of practical experience have made them widely recognized leaders in their areas of expertise.

"Online interactive learning legal education is still a frontier, requiring a law school with a commitment to lead in uncharted waters, to be the creator of best practices for others to follow," Byrnes said.

The benefactors of the program, the Diamonds, have authored more than 80 tax and trade books and over 100 investment booklets.